Zimbabwe Deports American Without Work Permit

A United States citizen working with the Clinton Health Access Initiative was on Wednesday found guilty of violating Zimbabwe's Immigration Act.

American Gedd Scot Westham reportedly admitted that he was working in Zimbabwe without a work permit. Mr. Westham was fined $400 and ordered to leave the country immediately.

His lawyer, Harrison Nkomo, claimed in court that Westham had been instructed by the Ministry of Health to start working immediately, rather than wait until immigration authorities had processed his work permit, as the law requires.

Mr. Nkomo added that Westham’s work was beneficial to Zimbabweans as his employer, a non-governmental organisation founded in 2002 by former U.S President Bill Clinton, provides free anti-malarial and anti-retroviral drugs.

As of this writing, Westham was being held at the Harare International Airport awaiting deportation to the United States.